A revised lawsuit was filed in Miami Tuesday adding more plaintiffs and claims that seek millions of dollars in damages for last month's Italian cruise ship disaster.
Attorneys said Monday the lawsuit now names 39 individual plaintiffs who were aboard the Costa Concordia when it capsized off the Tuscany coast. At least 17 people died and 15 remain missing.
The lawsuit names Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines Inc. and its Costa subsidiary. It initially sought more than $460 million, but the amended version seeks a total of $528 million, including $450 million in punitive damages and $78 million in compensatory damages.
Costa Crociere owns the cruise ship left listing in the Meditteranean. Its parent company is the Carnival Corporation.
Costa Crociere announced Tuesday that it has extended its deadline to March 31 for Costa Concordia guests who returned home to accept its compensation offer of $14,458 plus other costs.
"The families of deceased and missing victims and guests who were injured will be covered under a separate proposal based on their individual circumstances," the company said.
Many legal experts say it will be difficult to win lawsuits in Florida because Costa's tickets require that they be filed in Italy. Passenger lawyers contend Florida is proper because Carnival Corp. is based here.
"When you book a ticket online, you cannot see the terms of the agreement," said attorney Marc Bern. "It is our belief here, that due, not only, to the outrageous nature of the conduct here, the careless disregard for human life and safety, which we believe in and of itself makes the ticket null and void, but the fact is that when somebody purchases a ticket, they can't in fact see the agreement."
Other attorneys have announced plans to file lawsuits for passengers in Florida.
